Razan Wibowo, Malte Satow, Caroline Quartucci, Tobias Weinmann, Daniela Koller, Hein A M Daanen, Dennis Nowak, Stephan Bose-O Reilly, Stefan Rakete
{"title":"Impact of heat stress and protective clothing on healthcare workers: health, performance, and well-being in hospital settings.","authors":"Razan Wibowo, Malte Satow, Caroline Quartucci, Tobias Weinmann, Daniela Koller, Hein A M Daanen, Dennis Nowak, Stephan Bose-O Reilly, Stefan Rakete","doi":"10.1093/annweh/wxaf026","DOIUrl":"10.1093/annweh/wxaf026","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Heat stress poses a recognized threat to human health. Despite growing evidence, its impact on healthcare workers (HCWs) remains underexplored. This study evaluates occupational heat stress in HCWs, assessing physiological responses and subjective well-being.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Twelve HCWs from a German university hospital were monitored in non-air-conditioned intensive care units (ICU) and non-ICU settings during the summer of 2022 (mean indoor temperature of 26.5 °C) and again in the autumn of the same year or in March 2023 (mean indoor temperature of 23.6 °C). Physiological data (core body temperature, heart rate, and skin temperature) and subjective perceptions were measured using wearable sensors and questionnaires.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>In summer, mean core body and skin temperatures were higher by 0.4 °C and 0.3 °C, respectively. ICU workers exhibited higher heart rates and reported greater mental demands, frustration, and discomfort, particularly when using personal protective equipment (PPE). Common symptoms included sweating, fatigue, and headaches.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>We observed some evidence suggesting that elevated indoor temperatures and reported PPE usage contribute to increased HCWs' heat strain, which could potentially affect health, safety, and performance. Given the observed trends, we recommend considering cooling vests and revising workplace standards to mitigate heat stress.</p>","PeriodicalId":8362,"journal":{"name":"Annals Of Work Exposures and Health","volume":" ","pages":"665-675"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-07-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12262050/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144191420","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Christine Darbakk, Raymond Olsen, Solveig Krapf, Pål Graff
{"title":"Inflammatory responses of inhalable aerosols from powder food industry in THP-1 cells.","authors":"Christine Darbakk, Raymond Olsen, Solveig Krapf, Pål Graff","doi":"10.1093/annweh/wxaf041","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/annweh/wxaf041","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Occupational exposure to inhalable aerosols and airborne particles in the food production industry is associated with an increased risk of respiratory diseases, including asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). This study aims to investigate the inflammatory potential of inhalable aerosols collected from various food production environments and work tasks by assessing the concentrations of cytokines using an in vitro assay.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The inflammatory response, as measured by the production of inflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin 1β (IL-1β), IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, and IL-12, was determined using human macrophages derived from THP-1 monocytic cells. These cells were exposed to inhalable aerosol samples from 12 dry powder food processing plants. Cytokine concentrations were quantified using a Luminex assay.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>This study identified statistically significant variations in in vitro cytokine responses across different production types and work tasks, emphasizing the diverse inflammatory potential of workplace aerosols. Furthermore, a dose-dependent relationship was observed for TNF-α, IL-8, IL-2, and IL-1β, suggesting that aerosol mass plays a role in immune activation. After normalizing cytokine concentrations to aerosol mass, variations in the intrinsic potential of aerosols were observed, indicating that aerosols generated during dry powder food production have differing capacities to induce an inflammatory response.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>This study has demonstrated that the inflammatory potential of inhalable aerosols collected from various food production environments can be assessed by measuring cytokine concentrations using an in vitro assay. Although cytokine concentrations were generally low, weighing and mixing food ingredients, and environments like coffee, spice, and powdered consumer product production, and bakeries exhibited elevated concentrations of inflammatory cytokines, potentially indicating a higher risk for workers in these settings.</p>","PeriodicalId":8362,"journal":{"name":"Annals Of Work Exposures and Health","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-07-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144607258","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Mark Paul Carlo Cherrie, Miranda Loh, John William Cherrie
{"title":"The relative effectiveness of personal protective equipment and environmental controls in protecting healthcare workers from Covid-19.","authors":"Mark Paul Carlo Cherrie, Miranda Loh, John William Cherrie","doi":"10.1093/annweh/wxaf040","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/annweh/wxaf040","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>Our aim was to explore the probable effectiveness of personal protective equipment (PPE) and environmental controls in protecting healthcare workers from Covid-19 infection using the Covid Exposure Model and Risk App (CEMRA), which estimates the risk of infection by various pathways.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We adapted a compartmental model of nine states within a hospital room to estimate virus transport and fate for contact and inhalation transmission from an infected patient, implemented using a discrete-time Markov-chain. Cough spray transmission was modeled separately, extrapolated to the expiratory volume, with a probability of the cough impacting the face in proportion to the surface area of the mucous membranes. Infectious profiles of patients observed in hospitals, constructed using information on salivary virus concentration, exhaled emissions and cough frequency, were categorized from \"extremely low\" to \"extremely high\" in seven steps. We parameterized the model using measurements made in three Scottish hospitals along with estimates from the literature. Seven interventions spanning PPE, engineering controls and administrative controls were applied to simulations of a health care worker working in a small room.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Route of infection and to a lesser extent efficacy of controls depended on the infectiousness of the patient; inhalation was the main transmission route in scenarios from \"extremely low\" to \"moderate\" infectiousness. For these lower infectious profiles, the surgical mask, surgical mask combined with hand hygiene, and surgical mask, hand hygiene and surface disinfection showed between a 60% and 64% average reduction in risk compared with no intervention. The use of natural ventilation and an air purification device resulted in a modeled 71% to 77% reduction in risk. A healthcare worker wearing an FFP2 or FFP3 respirator, was associated with an 86% to 95% reduction in risk. Finally, a ventilated headboard or a powered respirator with hood showed between a 91% and 99% reduction in risk. For the \"high\" to \"extremely high\" infectious profiles the cough spray route predominated, although the modeled effectiveness of the interventions was similar to the lower infectious profiles.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The use of a flexible quantitative microbial risk assessment model can assess the likely reduction of risk of Covid-19 from workplace controls under various assumptions. Respirators and local ventilation were the most effective modeled interventions.</p>","PeriodicalId":8362,"journal":{"name":"Annals Of Work Exposures and Health","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-07-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144607259","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Linda Schenk, Malin Engfeldt, Håkan Tinnerberg, Niklas Ricklund, Martin Tondel, Pernilla Wiebert, Maria Albin, Karin Broberg
{"title":"Challenges to estimating and managing risks with hexavalent chromium exposure: a mixed-methods study of Swedish workplaces.","authors":"Linda Schenk, Malin Engfeldt, Håkan Tinnerberg, Niklas Ricklund, Martin Tondel, Pernilla Wiebert, Maria Albin, Karin Broberg","doi":"10.1093/annweh/wxaf039","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/annweh/wxaf039","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Using a mixed-methods approach, we assessed understanding of risks from exposure to the non-threshold carcinogen hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) among workers (n = 113) and occupational health and safety managers (n = 13) at 14 worksites with potential exposure to Cr(VI). We found that 55% of the workers had a measurable concentration of inhalable Cr(VI), with 19% exceeding 1 µg/m3, a level that corresponds to an \"upper risk level\" for future EU binding occupational exposure limits over a working lifetime. Additionally, 52% of workers had red blood cell (RBC) Cr concentrations exceeding the 95th percentile of an unexposed control group. Among responding workers (n = 91), 35% reported to perceive to be at no or low risk due to Cr(VI) exposure, 47% to be at some or large risk while 18% stated to be unsure. No correlations were found between reported risk perceptions and measured inhalable Cr(VI), urinary Cr, or RBC-Cr, but a weak correlation to years employed was found. Observations indicated that the hierarchy of controls was not strictly followed. Furthermore, 42% of respiratory protective equipment users used it incorrectly, and only two out the 50 (4%) needing a fit-test reported having performed one. Interviews with the managers revealed a lack of knowledge about the health risks of Cr(VI), and that expectations about exposure levels did not always match measured exposures. Our findings identify knowledge gaps regarding the health hazards of Cr(VI) and highlight the difficulty of estimating workplace exposure and risk without measurements. Based on our findings we recommend efforts to improve knowledge about Cr(VI) health hazards, strengthen the adherence to the hierarchy of controls, and incentivize quantitative exposure assessments.</p>","PeriodicalId":8362,"journal":{"name":"Annals Of Work Exposures and Health","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-07-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144558848","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Natacha Fouquet, Céline Ménard, Marc Fadel, Julie Bodin, Yves Roquelaure
{"title":"Onset of low back pain and teleworking conditions during lockdown in France: a structural equation modelling approach.","authors":"Natacha Fouquet, Céline Ménard, Marc Fadel, Julie Bodin, Yves Roquelaure","doi":"10.1093/annweh/wxaf007","DOIUrl":"10.1093/annweh/wxaf007","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Following the health restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic, about a third of French workers experienced mandatory teleworking during the lockdowns. The objective of this study is to examine the complex relationships between teleworking conditions, depressive symptomatology, and the onset of low back pain (LBP) during France's third lockdown in spring 2021.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Based on the online CoviPrev survey, 466 workers from the French general population who teleworked at least one day a week during lockdown and were free of LBP at the start of lockdown were included in this study. A conceptual model was developed in which relationships between teleworking conditions, depressive symptomatology, and the onset of LBP were assumed. Structural equation modelling was used to test the model.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The model showed that teleworking conditions (both material conditions of teleworking and the amount of telework) have a substantial direct and indirect impact on the onset of LBP. The theoretical model proposed 2 pathways for the effect of the teleworking conditions on the onset of LBP: a direct pathway, of a biomechanical nature, and an indirect pathway, mediated by satisfaction with teleworking conditions and depressive symptoms.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>This study suggests that there are complex relationships between teleworking conditions, depressive symptomatology, and the onset of LBP, which are essential to characterize to better understand the chain of determinants for the onset of LBP. They also highlight the importance of good working conditions to reduce the impact of teleworking on health, including the prevention of sedentary behaviours.</p>","PeriodicalId":8362,"journal":{"name":"Annals Of Work Exposures and Health","volume":" ","pages":"531-543"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-06-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12208290/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143960124","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Witness J Axwesso, Israel P Nyarubeli, Gloria H Sakwari, Bente E Moen, Simon H Mamuya
{"title":"Occupational area noise exposure in small-scale metal industry in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania.","authors":"Witness J Axwesso, Israel P Nyarubeli, Gloria H Sakwari, Bente E Moen, Simon H Mamuya","doi":"10.1093/annweh/wxaf017","DOIUrl":"10.1093/annweh/wxaf017","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Noise exposure in the informal small-scale metal industry may cause hearing loss, due to metal manufacturing processes. In Tanzania, this industry uses hand tools in metal fabrication processes and is not regulated by authorities.</p><p><strong>Aim: </strong>To describe noise exposure levels and to suggest possible improvements in the small-scale metal industry in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The study was conducted in 3 small-scale metal industry cooperatives in Dar-es-Salaam, with self-employed workers. Noise levels were measured using a portable sound level meter (Brüel and Kjær type 2250). Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and analysis of variance to compare noise levels. A walk-through survey and an interview were conducted to collect information on work operations and control measures.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The workers were seated close to one another in open rooms and produced continuous noise during the whole workday. No hearing protection or noise reduction strategies were observed. The average noise exposure level was 90.9 dBA, 106.9 dBA, and 89.7 dBA in the 3 metal companies X, Y, and Z, respectively, and the differences between companies were statistically significant. Company Y, with the highest noise level, had more workers. The average peak noise level was 124.6 dBA.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The studied workplaces had noise exposure levels above 85 dBA, the recommended limit value in Tanzania. Immediate action with the provision of hearing protection for the workers is needed, and the metal companies and the labor and health authorities in Tanzania should discuss the reorganization of the work to protect workers from noise levels.</p>","PeriodicalId":8362,"journal":{"name":"Annals Of Work Exposures and Health","volume":" ","pages":"553-558"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-06-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12208369/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143961499","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Assessment of vape shop built environment: airborne nicotine, particulate matter, ventilation, hazard identification, workplace practices, and safety perceptions.","authors":"Toluwanimi M Oni, Balaji Sadhasivam, Evan L Floyd","doi":"10.1093/annweh/wxaf018","DOIUrl":"10.1093/annweh/wxaf018","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Vape shops are established to sell electronic cigarette (EC) devices, e-liquids or e-juices, and other related accessories. EC use is prominent in vape shops and indoor EC use has been associated with elevated levels of nicotine and particulate matter (PM). This study assessed health and safety conditions, practices, building characteristics, nicotine, and PM concentrations in vape shops during business hours. Sixty-four vape shops were visited but only 15 vape shops consented to participate in this study. The majority of the vape shops had general ventilation (100%) and lounge areas (60%). No workers were observed not to use any personal protective equipment (PPE) such as gloves, aprons, face masks, etc. The mean and standard deviation of the shop volume, air flowrate, and air exchange rate were 12.361 ± 12.990 ft3, 1.203 ± 1.584 ft3/min, and 5.8 ± 2.8 h-1, respectively. The mean and standard deviation of the time-averaged concentration of nicotine, PM2.5, respirable PM, and total PM were 3.92 ± 3.73, 32.01 ± 25.85, 36.03 ± 30.91, and 43.67 ± 34.78 ug/m3, respectively. The nicotine, PM2.5, respirable PM, and total PM levels were significantly below their respective occupational or ambient guideline limits (P < 0.05). The vape shop environments in this study did not appear to pose a significant risk of second-hand exposure to elevated levels of airborne nicotine and PM during business hours.</p>","PeriodicalId":8362,"journal":{"name":"Annals Of Work Exposures and Health","volume":" ","pages":"510-519"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-06-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12208366/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144511481","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Christian Tolstrup Wester, Luiz Augusto Brusaca, Javier Palarea-Albaladejo, Stavros Kyriakidis, Anders Dreyer Frost, Andreas Holtermann, Charlotte Diana Nørregaard Rasmussen
{"title":"What determines childcare workers physical behaviours at work? An investigation of determinants at the institution, team, and worker levels in Danish day nurseries.","authors":"Christian Tolstrup Wester, Luiz Augusto Brusaca, Javier Palarea-Albaladejo, Stavros Kyriakidis, Anders Dreyer Frost, Andreas Holtermann, Charlotte Diana Nørregaard Rasmussen","doi":"10.1093/annweh/wxaf016","DOIUrl":"10.1093/annweh/wxaf016","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>The childcare sector faces several challenges such as high rates of sick leave, employee turnover, and pain. We know that the physical behaviours the workers do at work are important for their musculoskeletal health and sick leave. However, we lack knowledge of which workplace factors determine the physical behaviours of workers. Therefore, we aimed to investigate which organisational levels and factors of Danish day nurseries determine the physical behaviours at work of childcare workers.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This cross-sectional study included 178 childcare workers from 73 teams and 16 day nurseries in Denmark. Workers were, on average, 36.5 years of age, mostly female (84%) and 57% were educated pedagogues. We measured physical behaviours (i.e. sedentary, light physical activity, and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity) during working hours using a thigh-worn accelerometer, and expressed them as isometric log-ratio coordinates for analysis according to compositional data analysis procedures. We examined 15 potential determinants of physical behaviours at work at three organisational levels: institutions (e.g. permanent-to-not-permanent staff ratio), teams (e.g. worker-to-child ratio), and workers (e.g. age, BMI, physical exertion). Variance component analysis identified the percentage contribution to the total variance of physical behaviours of each organisational level. Linear mixed models were used to investigate associations between determinants at each level and the physical behaviours.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The largest contribution to the total variance in childcare workers' physical behaviours was observed at the worker level (95.5%), while team (2%) and institution (2.5%) levels contributed to only a minor extent. Two individual factors at the worker level-physical exertion (P < 0.01) and pain intensity (P = 0.01)-were significantly, but weakly associated with physical behaviours. Specifically, an increased physical exertion was associated with a 3.7% increase in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (P = 0.019) and a 6% decrease in sedentary behaviour (P = 0.009), relative to the remaining behaviours. Also, an increased pain intensity was associated with a 3.6% decrease in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (P = 0.008), relative to the remaining behaviours. No determinants at the institution and team levels were significantly associated with physical behaviours.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>In this study, worker level determines nearly all of the variability in physical behaviours while the institution and team levels only explain a little. That only two individual worker-level factors were weakly associated with physical behaviours indicates that other unmeasured worker-level factors are important determinants of the physical behaviours of childcare workers.</p>","PeriodicalId":8362,"journal":{"name":"Annals Of Work Exposures and Health","volume":" ","pages":"520-530"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-06-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12208360/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143969502","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Lynicka Paulse, Sonette du Preez, Anja Franken, Johan du Plessis
{"title":"Dermal exposure and surface contamination associated with the use of a cobalt-chrome alloy during additive manufacturing.","authors":"Lynicka Paulse, Sonette du Preez, Anja Franken, Johan du Plessis","doi":"10.1093/annweh/wxaf019","DOIUrl":"10.1093/annweh/wxaf019","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Amidst the rapidly emerging additive manufacturing (AM) industry, not enough attention has been given to dermal exposure, with only one previous study that assessed dermal exposure to metals. Our study aimed to characterise a cobalt (Co)-chrome (Cr) alloy feedstock powder (CO-538) in terms of particle size, shape, and elemental composition, and assess dermal exposure and workplace surface contamination during powder bed fusion AM.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Particle size distribution (PSD) and shape of the virgin and used feedstock powder were determined using static image and scanning electron microscopy analyses. The elemental composition of powders was established using inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry. A removal wipe sampling method using Ghostwipes was performed on AM operators' skin at various locations (index finger, palm, wrist, back of the hand, and neck), before and after each AM processing phase. Workplace surfaces (both AM and non-AM areas) were also sampled before and after each shift using a removal wipe method to measure surface contamination.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>PSD analysis revealed a significant difference (P ≤ 0.05) in median size, with used powder exhibiting smaller particles than virgin, where 10% of particles were smaller than the given diameter. Additionally, significant differences (P ≤ 0.05) were noted in the mean circularity and convexity between virgin and used powders, indicating that used powder particles were more irregular and rougher compared to virgin. The CO-538 feedstock powder contained Co, Cr, molybdenum (Mo), aluminium (Al), iron (Fe), and Ni. These metals were also detected on the skin of AM operators and on surfaces within the AM and non-AM areas of the facility. Dermal exposure occurred on all of the anatomical areas, with the highest total metal concentration detected on the index finger during the post-processing phase of AM. The highest full-shift geometric mean GM concentration of each metal was detected on the finger and followed a trend of Co > Cr > Fe > Al > Mo > Ni. Surface contamination occurred on all AM and non-AM sampling areas after a full shift.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Dermal exposure to all CO-538 alloy metal constituents occurred on all sampled anatomical areas during all three processing phases. Measurable concentrations of metals that were detected on all sampled surfaces indicate that cross-contamination between AM and non-AM areas occurs and that these surfaces may act as a secondary source of exposure. There is thus a need for control measures to be implemented in AM facilities to eliminate or reduce surface metal contamination and dermal exposure.</p>","PeriodicalId":8362,"journal":{"name":"Annals Of Work Exposures and Health","volume":" ","pages":"486-494"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-06-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144126479","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Anna Jacobsen Lauvås, Pål Graff, Anani K Afanou, Caroline Duchaine, Marc Veillette, Mette Myrmel, Anne Straumfors
{"title":"Pepper mild mottle virus as a potential indicator of occupational exposure to airborne viruses in wastewater treatment plants.","authors":"Anna Jacobsen Lauvås, Pål Graff, Anani K Afanou, Caroline Duchaine, Marc Veillette, Mette Myrmel, Anne Straumfors","doi":"10.1093/annweh/wxaf020","DOIUrl":"10.1093/annweh/wxaf020","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Wastewater is a known carrier for human pathogenic viruses, with seasonal variations in concentrations, and wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) workers are a potentially overlooked occupational group regarding exposure to secondary aerosolized viruses. Exposure assessment of airborne pathogens is complicated by a lack of universal markers of viruses, no standardized sampling protocol, and challenges in detecting extremely low-abundant targets. In this study, we evaluate the risk of workers' exposure to 4 pathogens, Adenovirus, Norovirus GI and GII, and Influenza A and the Pepper mild mottle virus (PMMoV) as an indicator for aerosolized viruses from wastewater, in 3 WWTPs in the Oslo region, Norway. We collected personal and stationary air samples in summer and winter and used digital droplet PCR (ddPCR) to enable the detection of low-abundant targets. Pathogenic viruses were detected in 22% of all samples, with similar detection rates in personal and stationary samples, with a maximum concentration of 762 genome copies/m3 air. PMMoV was detected in 69% of all samples, with concentrations ranging from 28 to 9703 genome copies/m3 air. The pathogens and PMMoV were most frequently detected at the grids, biological cleansing, sedimentation basins, and sludge treatment/de-watering stations, and were associated with tasks such as flushing, cleaning, and maintenance of the same workstations. Overall, the concentration of pathogens and PMMoV in the air was low, but there is a potential for high point exposure which may pose a risk to workers' health and is increased by the nature of the workers' tasks. PMMoV may be a promising tool for assessing the overall potential for viruses with human waste origin aerosolized from sewage. To strengthen this indicator-based approach to occupational exposure assessment, we recommend validating PMMoV along with other potential indicators. Validation should include evaluating the correlation between these indicators and pathogens in both wastewater and bioaerosols.</p>","PeriodicalId":8362,"journal":{"name":"Annals Of Work Exposures and Health","volume":" ","pages":"495-509"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-06-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12208365/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144135973","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}